1910 Census Information

Highlights:

13th Decennial Census.

U.S. Population: 91,972,266.

Cost: $15,968,000.

Questions:

The 1910 census questionnaire was similar in design to that used in 1900. The most notable change was the late addition, at the behest of Congress, of a question concerning a person's "mother tongue." It was so late, in fact, that questionnaires for the census had already been printed. Information on "mother tongues" was to be added into "nativity" columns 12, 13, and 14. The following information, listed by column number, was gathered from each resident:

General Population Schedule

Number of dwelling house in order of enumeration

Number of family in order of enumeration

Name

Relationship to head of the family

Sex

Color or Race

Enumerators were to enter "W" for White, "B" for Black, "Mu" for mulatto, "Ch" for Chinese, "Jp" for Japanese, "In" for American Indian, or "Ot" for other races.

Age

Is the person single, married, widowed, or divorced?

Enumerators were to enter "S" for single, "Wd" for widowed, "D" for divorced, "M1" for married persons in their first marriage, and "M2" for those married persons in their second or subsequent marriage.

Number of years of present marriage

How many children is the person the mother of?

Of the children a person has mothered, how many are still alive?

Place of birth of the person

Place of birth of the person's father

Place of birth of the person's mother

Year of immigration to the United States

Is the person naturalized or an alien?

Can the person speak English? If not, what language does the person speak?

The person's trade, profession, or occupation

General nature of the industry, business, or establishment in which this person works

Is the person an employer, employee, or working on his own account?

If the person is an employee, was he out of work on April 15, 1910?

If the person is an employee, what is the number of weeks he was out of work in 1909?

Can the person read?

Can the person write?

Has the person attended school at any time since September, 1909?

Is the person's home owned or rented?

Is the person's home owned free or mortgaged?

Does the person reside in a home or on a farm?

If on a farm, what is the farm's identification number on the census farm schedule?

Is the person a survivor of the Union or Confederate Army or Navy?

Is the person blind in both eyes?

Is the person deaf and dumb?

Indian Population Schedule

Enumerators of American Indians living on reservations or in family groups outside of reservations used a special modified schedule for the 1910 census which included an extra page of questions. Columns 1 through 32 were almost identical to the general population schedule. The only difference is that enumerators were instructed to mark "Ration Indian" in column 18 for occupation for those American Indians who did not work and were wholly dependent on government support. Those who work and received some support were to have their occupation listed, followed by the letter "R." Enumerators asked those listed on the Indian population schedule the following additional questions, listed by column number:

Tribe of this person

Tribe of this person's father

Tribe of this person's mother

Proportion of this person's lineage that is American Indian

Proportion of this person's lineage that is white

Proportion of this person's lineage that is black

Number of times married

Is this person living in polygamy?

If this person is living in polygamy, are his wives sisters?

If this person graduated from an educational institution, which one?

Is this person a taxed?

An American Indian was considered "taxed" if he or she was detached from his or her tribe and was living in the white community and subject to general taxation, or had been alloted land by the federal government and thus acquired citizenship.

If this person had received an allotment of land from the government, what was the year of that allotment?

Is this person residing on his or her own land?

Is this person living in a "civilized" or "aboriginal" dwelling?

Enumerators were to mark "Civ." (for "civilized") if the person was living in a log, frame, brick, or stone house, etc. and "Abor." (for "aboriginal") if the person was living in a tent, tepee, cliff dwelling, etc.